The Pittsburgh Steelers plucked ILB Patrick Queen from the Baltimore Ravens this offseason; or, at least, they signed him. The thing is, the Ravens never even offered Queen a contract, so it’s not like there was a bidding war. That is part of the reason he approached his first game against his former team with heightened emotions.
With that out of his system, Steelers-Ravens is just another football game. It’s a rivalry game, and the division hangs in the balance. But for Queen, it’s not about proving anything. Now that he is with the Steelers, the Ravens are water under the bridge.
“I’m over it, man. I’m over it”, Queen said of his emotions facing the Ravens via the Steelers’ website. “It’s a new team, we clinched a playoff spot. There’s bigger things to look at down the road. Right now, this is a big game, a division game. It’s a chance to get T-shirts and hats, so I’m all for it. I’m all for the rivalry and all that stuff, but I’m over the whole ‘my old team’ stuff”.
Patrick Queen is the most notable player from the Steelers or Ravens to switch sides in some time, possibly ever. As the Steelers’ every-down linebacker, he has 109 tackles this season, though without some of his typical splash. While he has one forced fumble (against the Ravens), and five passes defensed, he has no interceptions or sacks. He does have five tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
While he isn’t building off his All-Pro season last year, Patrick Queen has largely settled in with the Steelers. He had some growing pains at first, which is not atypical for a young player on a new team. The Steelers also ask Queen to set the defense, which he did not do with the Ravens.
While he might not be suiting up with heightened emotions because he is playing his former team, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to get up for a big game. Queen knows the Steelers can win the AFC North by beating the Ravens. He only won the division title with the Ravens once, just last season, so he’d love to do it in Pittsburgh.
Patrick Queen had one of his best games in his first game with the Steelers against the Ravens. In that contest, he recorded 10 tackles with one for loss, plus the forced fumble, which he recovered. That remains his only takeaway of the season, but perhaps he can manage another against his former teammates.
